Just as an aside. I'd be very wary about taking a job at Adam and Eve. They're undoubtedly going to be the new (less creative) CHI and Ben Priest is more slippery than the snake from the biblical tale that inspired the name of the agency. I am clever, look how I've tied it up...

Global CD of WPP? What sort of job is that (apart from very well paid) - how will he influence the global and local cd's of JWT, Y&R and O&M? Also, ironically, doesn't this make O'Keeffe Russell Ramsay's boss again? I wonder what Russell thinks of that?

look at the work to come out of rainey's during ben dave and james tenure. utter pile of crap. doubt A&E will be any different. good call anon 12.09 on the CHI but less creative. fast and cheap does not make for good work.

all these up-and-coming startup makes me laugh when they are interviewed/featured on campaign. They go round with chest beating gung-ho that they will be approaching advertising differently; Doing the next 'new' thing, being the new model blah blah...

then they came out with that crapbury biscuits tv ad and that maryland thing. It's early days but you have to put the money, erm, i mean your work where your mouth is.

Too much cynicism. If you're still a wannabe and you get the chance of a try-out ANYWHERE, grab it with both hands. And spend your time worrying about how good YOU are, not people who've already made it.

cactus kid is fun. standsout for sure. i disagree that you should just go in anywhere if you're a junior (unless you are a bt shit). i eblieve you should stck it out and go to places where there are ppl you respect. i know i know its time lxuruy luck etc... but i know enough ppl that get in somewhere shit then get trapped in a sphere of shit agencies. not that you cant beak out. but its not easy. nothing is.

Do not, whatever you do, go work for Ben Priest. He can't be trusted, nor can his creative judgement. The only teams at RKCR that 'succeeded" under him were turning in average work, effectively cock-blocking the teams that turned in good work.

Golding is a good IPA paper writer, but couldn't come to an insight to save his life. People at GLH still call him "ringo"

Murphy is clever, clever man. But without a CD or planning director with the gravitas and talent to serve as a counterbalance, A&E will only ever be a first-rate account shop.

The thing, mates is every body wants a job/placement in the same agencies. Mother, Fallon and W+K. Everyone is obsessed with those 3 and you have to be really lucky (not necessarily talented) to actually land something at those places.

The question is not Adam & Eve or not Adam & Eve, every agency in town is about the same kind of bet. Except the above and maybe DDB (but they haven't hired a placement team since 1928).

Has Nick Gill ever done/approved a bad ad? If he hasn't then he surely is a genius. In fact he isn't human. If he has, which I think everyone has except me, then just because he approves an ad it does not automatically make it good. Though it does improve its chances.

When I however, write an ad, it is automatically good and if it isn't approved it is because the approvee has no talent.

My leg still hurts a bit. I pronged it with a stick over the weekend. Picture my chagrin.

Yes, he was really a gruff. He'd abuse you, but in a friendly way. Particularly around the pool table. Unless the Arsenal lost. Then the abuse was real and you wouldn't want to show him any work. I once typed up some cannon fodder for him to kill the morning after the gooners lost a big match. The next day I presented the real ad. Bingo.

I've only worked with ben priest once - and that was a very quick and dirty brief - and I have to say the impresion I got was exactly what other commenters here have made him out to be. slippery is a great word for him, guarded and eager, the latter in that creepy bad way, are as well. I, too expected them to be another VCCP, not CHI.

ben priest reminds me of 'karmarama' dave. two somehow creepy characters but I just can't put my finger on what it was.

I can see tumbleweeds swirling acrossthe Campaign site regarding - O’Keeffe quits BBH for WPP role - no comments on that and not much on any other topic for that matter, even the latest creative workget the collective hard shoulder.

ECD is a difficult job, but one I am sure he will rise to. The best ECD's are like Mafia Dons, or Top Generals. They inspire everyone under them and put out fires everywhere else. They steer the larger ship and strategically place charismatic, rulebreaking, or studious CD's in the perfect places to execute. It's like managing a football team really.

speaking about arses, those fallon tankers* haven't got back to you, right? They'll probably forwarded your message to their juniors and since they're the prima donnas it's probably sitting in the bin now.

*you know what i mean but i just don't want to get the message scampminated.

Being graduates we have been in the situation of being offered placements at certain agencies but really having to think if that's were we want to start. I know a few people who have taken placements at less creative agencies for the money, this I do not agree with. Work hard and you can get in to the agency of your choice. Could take some time though but it could be worth it. We have applied for the book crit at Adam and Eve but are still waiting for a response.

1:39 PMHe got 2 min round of applause at BBH, not at the UN so let's put things into perspective. The man has a brilliant career and the promotion was well deserved.

This business is tough. You're always receiving enormous amounts of shit when you make a mistake, so why shouldn't you get unreasonable amounts of good vibe from your peers when you do well. Even if it feels gay.

I had an opportunity for paradise yesterday but blew it. Or did I? Just for those who are interested the crit was brief. I had about 10 mins with Ben Priest. I had never met the guy before so wanted to form my own opinions rather that believe in the anti-comments on here. For what it's worth he came across as a really decent guy. So he didn't think much of my work (I can't say that I feel too passionate about the stuff A&E have done so far either but it's early days so I am willing to give them a chance). He gave me a some useful advice which has been mentioned before so I'll take it on board. Some of it I'll ignore. What I will say is that those who mentioned A&E will be the less creative CHI or wherever have probably got a point. Listening to what he was looking for he kept mentioning 'simple' which having thought about it and looked at their work again probably meant 'cheap and not that creative'. Far be it from me to say I am a better creative than the man but I just realised my style is not right for what he is looking for. Would I feel proud saying I work for A&E and am producing the stuff they are doing now. No, so I didn't blow my chance at all. He's a nice guy though.

In his time at RKCR - IPA papers were won by Emily James,(gold) Megan Thompson (grand prix), Lucy Howard (silver), Rebecca Moody (silver)- but none was won by MR Golding himself. If you ask anyone involved you will find that now was he the person responsible for editing those papers - that was mostly done by Alison Hoad

It is true however that the only person mentioned in conjunction with this haul in Campaign at the time was David Golding....